Railway-spike.



WILLIAM A. MOONEY, 0F LA CYGNE, KANSAS.

RAILWAY-splitta.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3o, 1912.

Application filed April 11, 1910. Serial No. 554,758.

T0 all wh-0m t may concern Be it known that I, VILLIAM A. MooNEY, a citizen of the United St-ates, residing at La Cygne, in the county of Linn, State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Spikes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such 'as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in railway spikes, more particularly to the class of self-clenching spikes, and has for one of its objects to improve the construction and increase the efficiency and utility of devices of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a self-clenching spike having two prongs of equal size so that the olenching is uniform in both directions.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claims; and, in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved spike applied, with a portion of a tie and aportion of a railway rail in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofthe improved spike prior to its insertion into the tie. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. t is a transverse section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

The improved spike comprises a head 10 of the usual form with a relatively long lateral projection 11 at one side to bear upon the tie flange portion of a rail as represented at 12, and with a shorter lateral projection 13 at the-opposite side to receive the pull claw. The stock portion of the spike is formed in two parts 14-15 divided by a longitudinal split 16. The outer faces of the portions 14-15 extend in parallel relations as shown in Fig. 1 before the spike is inserted into the tie'and with their inner faces inclined to the longitudinal plane of the spike, as represented respectively at 17-18. At their lower ends the portions 14:-15 are wedge-shaped as represented at 19-20 in Fig. 1, with the wedging faces reversely arranged so that at their terminals the portions 14 -15 are in alinement transversely, as shown at 21-22 in Fig. 3. By

this arrangement when the spike is ready to be driven into the tie the lower end presents the same appearance when viewed from one side as an ordinary spike, and forms a single aperture when first forced into the tie. By this arrangement the spike enters the tie uniformly when first started, and after it has been driven a short distance into the tie the members lll-15 are diverted in opposite directions by the wedged terminals 19-20 into about the po sition shown in Fig. 1. The members 14s-15 being of exactly the same area and bulk, and correspondingly uniform in strength and oering a uniform resistance, will be diverted to exactly the same degree in opposite directions, and thus maintain the head 10 in its central position, so that it bears upon the tie flange 12 of the rail in precisely the same manner as in an ordinary spike.

By inclining the long face 17 oppositely to the shorter taper 19 it will be seen that in the driven position of the spike the face 17 will assume ordinarily a horizontal position thusy making the spike more difficult of withdrawal. It will be seen that if the spike were formed in the common method, that is having the faces inclined in the same direction,`the longer face would assume more nearly a vertical position and although the same weight of metal would be used the spike would be more easy of withdrawal. By inclining the faces oppositely it will thus be seen that through using the same weight of metal in the spike and without increasing the cost of manufacturing the same, the spike is made more eiiicient in its action.

The two prongs 14-15 offer an effectual resistance to the withdrawal of the spike, and retains it rigidly in the tie.

The spike may be of any required size and the cost of manufacture will not be materially increased over that of an ordinary solid`spike, while at the same time the eiiiciency and resisting power is much greater.

What is claimed is 1. A railway rail spike having its stock divided longitudinally to form two equal portions with two of the edges of said portions extending in parallel relations and the two opposite edges inclined to the longitudinal plane of the stock, each of said divided portions having a reversely inclined face at its free end, the terminals of the inclined faces being in alinement transversely of the stock.

2. A railway rail spike having its stock divided longitudinallyT to form two equal members, the forward edge of one of said members being parallel with the rear edge of the second member and the forward edge of the second member and the rear edge of the iirst member being inclined toward each other the driving edge of the one being in alinement with the driving edge of the other.

In testimony whereof, I aiiX my signature, in presence 0f two witnesses.

VILLIAM A. MOONEY.

itnesses SAMUEL' A. MOONEY, VILLIAM H. MooNEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

